Don’t be shy – communicate!

December 4, 2010

Almost every nonprofit I look at makes one classic faux pas. They believe that it’s an inconvenience, an intrusion, a nuisance, a mistake to communicate frequently with their donors (or prospective donors). They don’t want to “bother” them (or, let’s face it, they’re lazy and can’t be bothered with the bit of extra work it takes to keep in touch).

And yet, donors are our friends. You wouldn’t call upon your friends once a year only to ask for money would you? Imagine it. In fact, when you put it that way it’s downright rude. Yet that’s what many nonprofits do.

If we’re engaged in true relationship fundraising, communicating well and communicating often is key. Start at the first gift – create heartfelt welcome packages for your new donors. Start at the first indication of interest – say signing up for your organization’s email newsletter – with a series of two to five evenly spaced enthusiastic welcoming emails.

Note that I did say “communicating well.” As Tom Ahern says “What are the best secrets? Be different. Be fun. Be authentic.”

By establishing a consistent pattern of communication of a minimum of twelve touches a year (I know, I know “Twelve??? But that’s too much!” Just do it.) you’re conditioning your donors and building lasting relationships.

Raves for Pamela

“Out of all the enews I receive, The Grow Report is the one that I can consistently count on for ah-ha moments.”

Pam’s rewrite of our recent annual appeal resulted in a 36% increase in gifts over last year’s. She also worked with us on our follow-up letters and those have already brought in 17 new donors!

Lisa Hambrick, Executive Director

You have embarked on a journey of saving lives. On behalf of all those whose lives you will touch … THANK YOU!

Libby

I really appreciate the way you focus on small nonprofits with easy to digest info and tactics. I get really tired of most consultants and nonprofit sector pundits (do we have pundits?) talking and making presentations as if everyone has a full development staff. Thanks.

Clay Myers-Bowman

“I just wanted to thank you again for your help with our Annual Appeal. This year, we almost doubled the amount we have ever received from one appeal. Amazing!”

“I learned so much from you and the Simple Development Systems Membership Program. I highly recommend it for all professional fundraisers.”

Don Capaforte, Director of Volunteer Services, Angel Medical Center

Thanks for the Grow Report! It’s my favorite source of development information!

Kristen Johnson

First of all, your Grow Report is absolutely fantastic. It has not only educated me – it’s made me laugh too! Not to mention, the personal side of it is SO appreciated (especially since most of the reports I receive are so robotic and too serious – it’s enlightening to read something that presents valuable information in a fun way! Who says fundraising and grant writing can’t be fun?). So, THANK YOU.

I just really wanted to say thank you because you’ve helped me find a little bit of footing…

Christina Durante, KCCDD, Director of Development

“Yours is the only newsletter I actually read – thank you!”

Thank you for always providing helpful, inspiring content. It makes this job so much easier knowing we’re not doing it alone!

Emily Mares, AGE of Central Texas

The idea of a donor ‘welcome kit’ is awesome. I am going to implement MANY things – too many to mention. But I will say that sending out cards for other occasions is genius! How wonderful for donors to get a card on Thanksgiving before the holiday rush. We have a great communication plan and I have a contact strategy, but your WOW calendar gives me a great tool to merge the two. Keep up the good work! Thanks a million for the free book!

Deanna Tharpe, Executive Director, Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action

“Programs like yours take some of the fear away and remind me that all progress is incremental and I just have to take it step by step.

Thank you so much for being there with the information that I need when I need it. You do important work and I appreciate you very much. What you do makes a big difference in the world by empowering people like me to reach our potential and help our communities.”

Jessica L. Lloyd-Rogers

“I treasure the Grow Report and use it in my daily annual fund work!”

THANK YOU for the Grow Report. I love grabbing my cup of coffee to settle in for the BlogRoll and some great insights. It’s my morning awesome sauce!”
“

Johnny Avots-Smith, KVIE Public Television

You really cut to the “meat” of what it means to be small shop and you “get it” in a way that so many fundraising gurus don’t.

Elizabeth Ettenger, Ravalli County Museum

Last week, I received my first $100,000 gift. I have such great stories to tell about the good work we do. It’s easy to be passionate when you’re doing what you love. I really received the reigns of the foundation in late October. Since then, I have raised nearly $325,000. My annual appeal was very successful. Using your book, webinars, classes, etc. I am moving forward nicely!

Teri Donaldson, Executive Director, The Futures Foundation

“Warm, personal, real…love that you do the legwork to read the blogs and pass along the best. I’m not really in a “small shop” but since I train our 900 campus staff to do fund development the different approaches and ways to communicate the basic stuff in a new way is really helpful.”

“Simple Development Systems is AMAZING. I am so glad we signed up for it — it has been an incredible support for me and our Development Associate. We don’t have a senior development person — it’s just me on top of being executive director, and your program has had JUST the right approach for us. I feel like we are doing things more effectively and efficiently — the webinars, resources, newsletters/emails, it has all been terrific. I am recommending it to other folks right and left!”

Julia R. Wilson, Executive Director, OneJustice

I always seem to come away with a few pearls to inspire me…and kick me into action. thanks!

Simple Development Systems is absolutely easy to use, easy to understand and covers all of the topics I’ve had to self-teach myself in an organization with no dedicated development staff.

Caroline Tillier, Seattle, WA

I am new to fund development, stewardship giving and donations. The person I am replacing has been in the CEO/President role for 26 years. Our donors are very tied to giving to her, not the cause. The first thing I started to do was to call each donor to thank them and introduce myself to them as each check came in. (We are very small!) I want them to get to know me and the work that we are doing. Response has been wonderful.
Thank you for sharing your years of wisdom and insight. As a newbie…

Cheryl Melendez, Executive Director, Gospel Literature International

I am newer to the development field (after a 20 year Human Resources run) and I find it rewarding and fascinating.
Your book helped me to feel good that I am putting my efforts into the right places. Gratitude is the starting point of all generosity. I loved your calendar for stewardship and will use it to enhance my quarterly work plan efforts.
I really enjoy your newsletter. Thank you for all your efforts and good information.

Heidi Mayer, Lutheran Home Foundation

Pamela I really enjoy your weekly updates and blog. With a small budget and a smaller development budget you have truly made a difference in the nonprofit arena as we share your tidbits and highlights with our members. Thank you.

Thanks for all the information you continue to share; it’s invaluable to little nonprofits like us.

Lynndah Easterwood Lahey, Executive Director, ETS/NW

“Based on the excellent advice presented in your Monthly Giving course, we’ve increased our monthly donors by 242% in just 7 months! We’re excited to keep building on this success in the coming school year.”

“I signed up for probably a dozen online blogs and newsletters. Yours is the only one to stay in my inbox! I feel it’s most relevant to me, my new role and our small organization. Thanks for all the helpful information.”

DeAnna Marler, The Joshua School

“Yours is still the only NPO related newsletter I read each week start to finish. I’m going to join your membership program since it looks like that would be a better investment of my resources than some places I’ve found.”

Reagan

“I think signing up for your Grow Report has been the single most best thing I have done to help me with this job!!!!”

Patti Young, Development Director, HALO-Flight, Inc.

“Last week, I received my first $100,000 gift. I have such great stories to tell about the good work we do. It’s easy to be passionate when you’re doing what you love.I do not have any staff and my board has set a goal for me of $1 million by December 31, 2014. I really received the reigns of the foundation in late October. Since then, I have raised nearly $325,000. My annual appeal was very successful. Using your book, webinars, classes, etc. I am moving forward nicely! As your emails alw…

Teri Donaldson, Executive Director, The Futures Foundation

“The Grow Report has been so user-friendly and practical, that I haven’t felt improving our communication is beyond my reach!”

Sarah Dirrim, Haitian Christian Foundation, Communications Director

Last week, I received my first $100,000 gift. I have raised nearly $325,000. My annual appeal was very successful. Using your book, webinars, classes, etc. I am moving forward nicely!

Teri Donaldson, Executive Director, The Futures Foundation

“THANK YOU… for being the wind beneath my wings. These words seem so inadequate to express my gratitude for all that you have taught me this past year. I hope this story paints a more eloquent picture.
Your emails are a blessing. I receive many from well-known CFRE gurus but NONE are as useful as yours. Most are content marketing pieces aimed at selling ebooks, Webinars, or expertise. Yours, on the other hand, have one simple goal — empowering people to raise money for causes they are pass…

Rachel Ramjattan, Special Projects Coordinator, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc.

Please know you are a big part of our development team here at the Intervale, and we not just achieved but exceeded our community fundraising goals by $24,000 in 2013 thanks for great advice and support from Simple Development Systems!!

Mandy Fischer, Development Manager, Intervale Center

I have to tell you that this book was AMAZING when I started my new job. It helped me craft my 30-60-90 day work plan. I would highly recommend it!!!

I had great success with the last course I took with you. My first end-of-year appeal campaign (sent mid December, a 4 page letter and lots of ‘yous’:) came in 38% higher than the previous year so far! And envelopes are still coming in. Very exciting.

Margo Reveil, Cook Inletkeeper

I had great success with the last course I took with you. My first EOY appeal campaign (sent mid December, a 4 page letter and lots of “yous”:) came in 38% higher than the previous year so far! And envelopes are still coming in. Very exciting.

Margo Reveil, Cook Inletkeeper, http://inletkeeper.org/

Thank you for your clear instruction and useful insight on writing grants. The webinar was very helpful and the materials you included with the course were excellent!”

Katie Winniford Dallas, TX

“I loved this class (Nonprofit Storytelling | The Basics & More)!! Especially the sections on video storytelling, week three mostly. One thing I can and already have put into practice in the importance of making daily phone calls just to say THANK YOU to donors! What a great idea! And already as I plan video stories that I will be filming and interviewing for, I am using the dramatic arc of storytelling that we learned about all the way back in week one. Thank you for this course, it has so man…

Tiffany Hundley, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

You make it possible for me to get the best of what’s out there in one easy and fun shot every Thursday morning – I just wish I had time to implement everything! Thanks Pam for your weekly words of wisdom.

Ho! Ho! Ho! It feels like Christmas all over again, Pamela. I am now holding a printed copy of a 57 page book packed with information about donor cultivation. This is supposed to be one of my “specialties” in the little pond in which I reside, but in just flipping through the book as it was printing, I saw several ideas that had not crossed my mind.
I am reading and marking up the book tonight, so I can get started using your ideas tomorrow.

Simple Development Systems is fantastic! I’m about to be a new ED and I am excited to lead the organization into a new era of donor centric activities.

Michael Faith

Thank you again for The Grow Report. It is one of the many nonprofit marketing and fundraising newsletters I receive. However, it is one that I can consistently count on for ah-ha moments.

Rozz Beckman, Development Director, WasteCap Nebraska

I love how you do the research for us and post the best of the best. This is a tremendous help for those of us who are a one woman shop and don’t have the time. Thanks!

Oh my gosh Pamela, whenever I read something of yours I get all fired up and want to do it all TODAY! Thank you very much for being such a wonderful resource for me!

Jacqueline Normand, www.christianhelp.org

“You make it possible for me to get the best of what’s out there in one easy and fun shot every Thursday morning – I just wish I had time to implement everything! Thanks Pam for your weekly words of wisdom.”

“Simple Development Systems is AMAZING. I am so glad we signed up for it – it has been an incredible support for me and our Development Associate. We don’t have a senior development person – its just me on top of being executive director, and your program has had JUST the right approach for us. I feel like we are doing things more effectively and efficiently – the webinars, resources, newsletters/emails, it has all been terrific. I am recommending it to other folks right and left!”

Julia R. Wilson, Executive Director, OneJustice

“I’m LOVING the Power of Thank You modules. Being new in my organization, I’ve been wanting to re-vamp thank you letters and going through this e-course is spurring me on to get it done. Thank you for your enthusiastic coaching and for your encouragement to focus on donors!”

I just wanted to let you know how useful I found your “Thank You” webinar with Pamela Grow in early December.
I realized how many mistakes we were making in acknowledging our donor’s generosity. The best part was many of Pamela’s suggestions were so easy to implement it didn’t create a big project for us (always a plus).
Thank YOU for offering the webinar – it was one of my faves so far.

Megan R. Hodges

Your Key to Sustainable Funding

I wish I’d had your book the day I started. I am 10 months in and feeling overwhelmed and under equipped. I hit the ground running and in retrospect feel I have been both reacting and drifting ever since. Wish I could have the first 100 days back! Second and third 100 too. Your book and toolkit provides some structure and immediate takeaways for me. Thank you!Dorothy
Development Officer

Your donor-centered database solution

Affiliate Disclosure

Untitled Document

Thank you. By purchasing through these referral links you’re allowing me to continue to publish The Grow Report free of charge - and empowering thousands of people worldwide to become more effective fundraisers. You rock!